Overview of breastfeeding practices in Kenya

Overview of breastfeeding practices in Kenya - (3000 words research paper)

Introduction

Kenya continues to be one of only a few countries capable of achieving the goal of growing exclusive breasts by 50% by 2025 for the World Health Assembly (WHA). By 2017, government aims to extend breastfeeding exclusivity to 80%. It should be noted that good schooling, the use of Pender's theory by nursing practitioners should be remembered, since it talks of several reasons changing women's attitudes towards food and sociocultural factors appear to predominate. Infants under the age of six months who are mixed feeding have a greater chance of diarrheal diseases and malnutrition. The assembly is the World Health Organization's governing forum. For infants under six months old, Kenya has seen a dramatic increase in exclusive breastfeeding (Wanjohi et al., 2016). Community plays a crucial role in breastfeeding and women are affected by the myths of the culture in which a woman is treated as a 'healthy mother' who breastfeeds the infant in her early age; in Italy in the '20s, one mother who secreted vast amounts of milk and breastfed her children was considered to be a 'good mother' In the other hand, the man who was unable to secrete milk was seen as a poor friend and a disappointment as a woman as these capacities are the only ones. Breastfeeding was only possible in 2003 for 13 percent of moms (Taylor & Hutchings, 2010). Cow's milk given early in life can cause iron deficiency anemia due to GI tract inflammation and blood loss, as well as dehydration due to a high renal solute load. Exclusive levels of breastfeeding continue to be poor in Africa.  The most recent maternal baby and small child feeding policies in the country have both been suggested, dating back to 2017 (Tarkwen, 2020b). It conclude that the most significant contribution that breast milk provides to the infant is that it strengthens the baby's immune system. Since cultural diversity is becoming more common in society, the cultural approach to health care delivery must be discussed and preserved in maternal and child care. Since it includes immunoglobulins (Ig): secretory IgA, IgD, IgG, IgE, IgM, and supplements, it provides essential protection against infections such as diarrhea and respiratory infections, as well as a lower risk of allergic reactions such as asthma, rhinitis, and eczema, particularly food allergies (diarrhea and vomiting). This is the product of a huge effort to support breastfeeding. Although the programs have not yet been entirely extended, they have created mass breastfeeding awareness. One advocates breastfeeding in clinics and the other in the neighborhood as delivered. Infants under the age of six months who are mixed feeding have a greater chance of diarrhea. Exclusive levels of breastfeeding in Africa remain low. Lactoferrin, a protecting agent against bacterial infections and a fixative of folic acid bound to iron and zinc, is another essential protein. When a mother has insufficient experience, since that fact should be made available so that the mother can refute the views and adopt a better breastfeeding attitude. Animal milk from locally held animals, such as cows, goats, or camels, is more likely to be provided because formula milk is costly relative to most Kenyan household incomes. The key protein, on the other hand, is lactalbumin, which is quickly digested because it forms soft clots. The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and the Baby Friendly Community Initiative are two of the programs developed by the Kenyan Government. 15 percent of children are given other milks in addition to breastmilk by the age of four to five months, and 27% have begun consuming supplementary foods. From 1995 to 2010, development world exclusive breastfeeding grew. This year, 61% of mothers with children under the age of six were breastfeeding exclusively, according to the National Demographic and Health Survey. In the developed world, breastfeeding exclusives grew from 33 percent to 39 percent between 1995 and 2010 (Tarkwen, 2020b). It also contains an essential amino acid called taurine, which serves as a neurotransmitter in the brain or intelligence. Kenya has a high breastfeeding record, with 99 percent of babies being breastfed at some point during their lives, but just 61 percent being exclusively fed for the first six months. UNICEF estimates that West Africa has one of the world's lowest rates with 2% of countries like Chad and 4% of Ivory Coast. The health care provider must then help breastfeeding as one of its instructional duties, which is to remind mothers and the world of the relevance and value of all breastfeeding (mother and child), This education starts when the woman is younger with the purpose of eliminating questions about breastfeeding.

Discussion

Breastfeeding initiation is higher in nearly all countries; but, during the first six months of development, a decline has been noted due to a variety of responsible and complex causes. According to UNICEF, 43 percent of children are breastfeeding exclusively at six months, with South Asia having the highest figure at 60 percent, followed by South Africa with 57 percent, and the regions with a level of 30 percent breastfeeding exclusively being the most concerning. As a result, the pediatric association and the WHO prescribe that breast milk be the only source of nutrition for the first six months, during which it can be gradually replaced with other foods before the child is two years old.  Breast milk is recommended until the first three months of childhood because it includes nutrients such as lactose, which is the primary source of carbohydrates in breast milk which provides 40% of the nutrition requirements (Tarkwen, 2020a). Lactose often helps in the processing of iron, calcium, and magnesium and encourages Lactobacillus colonization in the intestine, which inhibits the growth of some bacteria. Maternity and breastfeeding are also transformational experiences that create needs that are affected by the sociocultural aspects of the parents as well as the family and social structure as a whole. This research highlights the important effect of societal stigma on minority-group women's decision to breastfeed and the factors that lead to its preservation, such as values, history, and family climate. Both the decision to exclusively breastfeed and the continuation of that decision are influenced by family support, including professional support (Gacheru et al., 2019). Since cultural diversity is becoming more prevalent in society, the cultural approach to health care delivery must be discussed. Since cultural diversity is becoming more common in society, the cultural approach to health care delivery must be discussed and preserved in maternal and child care.

In addition to providing benefits to the infant, it also provides benefits to the mother, such as preventing hemorrhages and infections during the puerperium period, lowering the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and relaxing and involution of the uterus to the location of the fetus until birth. It's worth noting that amenorrhea happens during the breastfeeding period, resulting in less iron deficiency and allowing women to regain the weight they had before birth, improving bone remineralization postpartum, and lowering the risk of hip fractures during menopause. Given the many advantages that breastfeeding brings for both the mother and the child. According to studies, fewer than half of the babies born around the world are breastfed within the first hour of their lives (Operto, 2019).

Since the social and cultural background, as well as acculturation, are so significant in the interactions and decisions regarding breastfeeding, it is crucial that Primary Care providers pay attention to cultural competence (Gacheru et al., 2019). Health practitioners should encourage exclusive breastfeeding by displaying cultural maturity and establishing dynamic relationships with women and their families that uphold cultural values and traditions. Prior experience in cultural activities and procedures is required in order to deliver culturally knowledgeable nursing services, which must be compatible with the community being cared for as well as the needs of patients and their families.

However, through its idealization, other interpretations emerge from time to time, such as anxiety and confusion in the face of adversity, especially in the days leading up to the milk rising, as this causes a great deal of insecurity over the capacity to breastfeed the child. Both of these changes can cause disorganization in their lives, necessitating the modification of responsibilities and family dynamics to accommodate the new family member's needs. It is at these periods of contrasting emotions, satisfaction, and tension that mothers need proper therapy to relieve exhaustion, increase the baby's well-being, and raise the mother's confidence (Gacheru et al., 2019). The effectiveness of exclusive breastfeeding can be determined in large part by the care provided during the first few days after birth, as well as prior experiences and facts. In the fact that their primary source of care is their relatives, the nurse emerges as a key figure not only as a wellness provider who contributes to the physical well-being of mother and child, but also as a facilitator of a psychosocial environment that is tailored to the needs of mothers and their children. While it is widely acknowledged that social, biochemical, cultural, sociodemographic, fiscal, and genetic influences influence breastfeeding preference and maintenance, it is critical that health professionals educate themselves on these issues. It is critical for health practitioners working in the area of primary care to understand the culture, traditions, beliefs, and needs of the people they represent in order to protocolize the provision of assistance and the implementation of health promotion and preventive services tailored to the person, family, and society, taking into account their sociocultural characteristics. When preparing the treatment process and nursing involvement in Primary Care, knowledge of the traditions, attitudes, and behaviors of the community being cared for can be helpful in the role of delivering culturally knowledgeable care from a holistic perspective and with a cross-cultural approach to topics relating to breathing. The aim of this study was to look at the breastfeeding habits and behaviors of immigrant women and women from groups at risk of social vulnerability (Ndwiga, 2016).

Implications

Breastfeeding is somewhat different in the heart of Africa than it is in the West. The baby's control immediately after birth is critical to their life. Mother Nature anticipated this and provided all women with a heavily enriched first milk, rich in nutrients and antibodies, yellowish in color, more liquid, and therefore more digestible for the baby's developing stomach. Colostrum is a type of milk that is like liquid gold for an infant. Kenyan mothers, on the other hand, hate this tasty milk. As a result of culture and tradition, Kenyan mothers do not normally give their colostrum to their newborn babies, and the baby is fed by another woman in the household before the mother returns. As a result of their culture and tradition, Kenyan mothers do not normally give their colostrum to their newborn babies, and the baby is fed by another woman in the group before the mother has passed through that stage. When babies need it the most, colostrum is thrown out. Children in Kenya normally breastfeed for a couple of years, partially due to the difficulty of providing other milk for them, but they also mix breastfeeding with solid foods such as millet, sorghum, or herb-flavored rice. According to UNICEF, breastfeeding (LM) is a special mechanism that provides the ideal diet for the baby and leads to its stable growth and development until adulthood, reducing child morbidity and the incidence of infectious diseases (Mustika, 2017). The WHO recommends that the LM be used to minimize child mortality. As a result, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is prescribed for mothers for the first six months of their child's development, followed by supplementation with supplementary foods for at least two years. Kenya, a nation in Africa with a high rate of infant mortality, has shortcomings in the introduction and continuation of the LM (Mohamed et al., 2020). In a country where ancestral traditions are retained in the cult. In a sample of groups of mothers, problems were discovered not at the beginning, if not at the next; where the SCI is almost zero, so there are dominant ideologies that change this behavior. Breast milk is inadequate for a child's diet, and colostrum is harmful to the fetus, so it is important to substitute at an early age with food and drink, infusions of antibiotics, traditional oils, spices, plants, honey, and purees, to prevent the infant becoming a victim of a curse or becoming sick (Mohamed et al., 2020).

The prevalence of the populations of the Kenyan region, coming from different cultures, such as indigenous and mestizo, may be affected by their cultural traits; while in the Pacific the groups have cultural characteristics of Africans that vary based on their environment and geography and on the presence of other human groups that inhabit the same place. In this respect, practice is related to various causes, depending on A significant number of teenage mothers appear to shorten the breastfeeding period because the social or family stresses are often affected by the life span in which the individual is located. This trend will affect the family membership, the absence of bottle use, the absence of a mother householder, the societal pressure to believe, the absence of knowledge and attractiveness about the advantages given to her children and herself, the embarrassment of breastfeeding babies in public, the age of a mother and education of her own children (Ludvigsson & Ludvigsson, 2007).

Without stringent rules, Kenya is an example of how things ought to be achieved. Moms organize together in small teaching groups there "instinctively," whereby veteran mothers teach the younger ones how to breastfeed. For children who need it because of their disease or lack of maternal mothers, others also double as "wet care nurses." Solidarity spontaneously emerges in their society. They have it integrated into their DNA, as if they had it. There are international cooperation programs in countries such as Cameroon which implement HIV detection programs, and great information on the importance of new breastfeeding is being carried out (Lestari et al., 2019). Some countries have food insecurity that causes the death of a large proportion of moms who choose to breasts in recent years, like Kenya, South Africa has made substantial progress. However, the most recent documents talk of breastfeeding enforcement figures far from our European Union. Nevertheless, the most recent records mention percentages far apart from our European numbers for breastfeeding compliance, South African children are exclusively breastfeeding (Ludvigsson & Ludvigsson, 2007). In countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger or Chad much remains to be achieved in this respect. Food poverty in these countries means that a high number of moms who want to breastfeed wind up dying from malnutrition and are unable to suffer the caloric breastfeed burnout. Ministry ally covered in Morocco is breastfeeding. The Health Ministry itself is responsible for ensuring that doctors' health care is well trained in breastfeeding. It needs to accept breastfeeding as a required and skilled method for building a healthier, more open and caring environment, which makes a major contribution to reducing mortality and morbidity in children, preventable from being malnourished. Socially, breastfeeding is affected by the mother's medium, where the number of babies who are fed milk breast has shifted in culture on a regular basis (Lestari et al., 2019). The choice to breastfeed is more inferred and determined by social and cultural considerations for those that have been shown to be social, hormonal, genetic, psychological, family and cultural. Because of those current causes, policies have been introduced globally to raise the breastfeeding rate (KTN News Kenya, 2018). In the 1980s, UNICEF and WHO have developed several programs to save the breastfeeding mom from around the world, as the work gives the baby a lot of health benefits and decreases the percentage chances that it will lead. This gain began in the "Friends of Children" (1990) hospitals and clinics which summarize the "ten measures" for happy nursing (WHO, 2003). To be effective and to continue breastfeeding for mothers up to 6 months. The consistency of the health education of nursing workers, as the focus of nursing initiatives is on the emotional and physical condition of moms, advices and support: advantages and problems of breastfeeding, corrections of incorrect knowledge, myths, and other influences, depends on their efficacy and their mothers can continue breastfeeding for up to 6 months. Not just biochemical also biographical breastfeeding. In addition to being biological, breast-feeding is a biographical moment that is linked to women's convictions and culture. Women will express different emotions through this breast-feeding process, which can extend from satisfaction to impotence because sometimes the way to breast-feeding is difficult. The amount of care available in the first days after the birth, the impressions and the knowledge obtained depend on success for breastfeeding. Boyacas have various opinions about the medicinal plants taught from generation to generation during the postpartum cycle. In order to guarantee good nutrition for the newborn women, it is vital to produce milk abundantly, and mothers are obtained for that reason by means of various herbal extracts for cow's milk (Ludvigsson & Ludvigsson, 2007). Panela water is manufactured from papayuela or fennel, after which the milk is prepared, so that the baby can get more milk. During the postpartum care period the mothers have taken various precautions for their heads, eyes and ears, they have to shower with warm water, not exposed to currents air or the sun. Their recommendations for protection therefore include covering their heads, using cotton plugs for ear and warm clothes in order to keep this cold for them. In postpartum moms, diet is essential and activities such as the consumption of hot foods such as sugar water for sweating so that can take cold after birth and therefore have good stimulation milk. Chicken broth is a well-known food since it makes milk. The Chicken broth is a well-known product since it contains high quality ilk. In order to analyze it with other experts, a nursery specialist needs to be aware of cultural influences common to mother's area, which relates to breastfeeding; because they know that a mother needs treatment.  should not impose expertise on this subject but instead honor convictions to try and work with mom and family to maintain or modify these customs.

Conclusion

While Kenya has succeeded in the last few years in exclusive breastfeeding, much needs to be done to achieve the rights of mothers and infants. Positive breastfeeding behaviors have been associated with exclusive breasts but maternal awareness has not been associated with them. There were no major variations between primitive and multiparous mothers in the awareness, attitudes and experience of exclusive breast-feeding. For the informal sector, labor laws with the option of social security initiatives, particularly targeted at women, may need to be reconsidered. Interventions for exclusive breastfeeding should be customized to the population's needs. 

Further research directions

• Breastfeeding practices in Kenya
• History of breastfeeding in Kenya
• Breastfeeding rates in Kenya
• Exclusive breastfeeding in Kenya
• Factors affecting breastfeeding in Kenya
• Breastfeeding promotion in Kenya
• Benefits of breastfeeding in Kenya
• Challenges to breastfeeding in Kenya
• Breastfeeding policy in Kenya
• Maternal and child health in Kenya
• Infant and young child feeding in Kenya
• Breastfeeding education in Kenya
• Breastfeeding support in Kenya
• Cultural beliefs and practices surrounding breastfeeding in Kenya
• Breastfeeding advocacy in Kenya
• Infant mortality and breastfeeding in Kenya
• Breastfeeding and HIV in Kenya
• Breastfeeding and nutrition in Kenya
• Breastfeeding and child development in Kenya
• Breastfeeding interventions in Kenya



References

1. Aoko, L., Kiage, B., & Kyallo, F. (2018). The participation of fathers in breastfeeding process: knowledge, beliefs, and practices in Kisumu, Kenya. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 13634–13645. https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.83.17120
2. Asemahagn, M. A. (2016). Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers in azezo district, northwest Ethiopia. International Breastfeeding Journal, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-016-0081-x
3. Audelo, L. (2013). The virtual breastfeeding culture : seeking mother-to-mother support in the digital age. Praeclarus Press.
4. Cherop, C., Keverenge-Ettyang, A., & Mbagaya, G. (2009). Barriers To Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Infants Aged 0-6 Months In Eldoret Municipality, Kenya. East African Journal of Public Health, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.4314/eajph.v6i1.45752
5. Gacheru, J. K., Mwangi, A., & Abong’, G. (2019). naemia among breastfeeding infants (0-6 months) and associated factors in a low income urban setting of Kenya. African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 19(02), 14303–14319. https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.85.17615
6. KTN News Kenya. (2018). Government flags a Breastfeeding Walking in Nairobi | KTN News Desk. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iecxpIS5xVM
7. Lakati, A., Makokha, O., Binns, C., & Kombe, Y. (2011). The effect of pre-lacteal feeding on full breastfeeding in Nairobi, Kenya. East African Journal of Public Health, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.4314/eajph.v7i3.64737
8. Lestari, W., Kusnanto, H., Paramastri, I., & Widyawati. (2019). A qualitative study: The promotion of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) by integrated service post (ISP) cadres in suburban city. Enfermería Clínica, 29, 56–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2018.11.019
9. Ludvigsson, J. F., & Ludvigsson, J. (2007). Socio-economic determinants, maternal smoking and coffee consumption, and exclusive breastfeeding in 10 205 children. Acta Paediatrica, 94(9), 1310–1319. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1651-2227.2005.tb02093.x
10. Mohamed, M. J., Ochola, S., & Owino, V. O. (2018). Comparison of knowledge, attitudes and practices on exclusive breastfeeding between primiparous and multiparous mothers attending Wajir District hospital, Wajir County, Kenya: a cross-sectional analytical study. International Breastfeeding Journal, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-018-0151-3
11. Mohamed, M. J., Ochola, S., & Owino, V. O. (2020). A Qualitative Exploration of the Determinants of Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) Practices in Wajir County, Kenya. International Breastfeeding Journal, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-020-00284-x
12. Mustika, I. (2017). Exclusive Breastfeeding Determinants in Breastfeeding Mother. Journal of Health Science and Prevention, 1(1), 15–21. https://doi.org/10.29080/jhsp.v1i1.14
13. Ndwiga, T. (2016). Assessment of Exclusive Breastfeeding among Mothers Attending Immunization Clinic in Kenya: a Case Study of Kericho County. TEXILA INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of PUBLIC HEALTH, 4(2), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.21522/tijph.2013.04.02.art020
14. Operto, E. (2019). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding exclusive breastfeeding among HIV‐positive mothers in Uganda: A qualitative study. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.2966
15. Tarkwen, P. (2020a). Breastfeeding Mothers’ Knowledge on Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in Kapsabet County Hospital, Nandi County, Kenya. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 10(8), 70–81. https://doi.org/10.29322/ijsrp.10.08.2020.p10412
16. Tarkwen, P. (2020b). Attitudes of Breastfeeding Mothers Towards Ten Steps of Successful Breastfeeding in Kapsabet County Referral Hospital, Kenya. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 10(9), 362–367. https://doi.org/10.29322/ijsrp.10.09.2020.p10543
17. Taylor, A. M., & Hutchings, M. (2010). Using video narratives of women’s lived experience of breastfeeding in midwifery education: exploring its impact on midwives’ attitudes to breastfeeding. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 8(1), 88–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2010.00258.x
18. Wanjohi, M., Griffiths, P., Wekesah, F., Muriuki, P., Muhia, N., Musoke, R. N., Fouts, H. N., Madise, N. J., & Kimani-Murage, E. W. (2016). Sociocultural factors influencing breastfeeding practices in two slums in Nairobi, Kenya. International Breastfeeding Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-016-0092-7